S&W Model 60 .357 How Should I carry it

This is a discussion on S&W Model 60 .357 How Should I carry it within the Defensive Carry Holsters & Carry Options forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; I bought a new S&W Model 60 .357 2.5 inch barrel. I love the weapon. It has a hammer and is okay on weight. i ...

S&W Model 60 .357 How Should I carry it

I bought a new S&W Model 60 .357 2.5 inch barrel. I love the weapon. It has a hammer and is okay on weight. i wanted a revolver that would shoot .357 Mag without killing my hands. It shoots very well, but I can't decide how to carry it best. I bought the Galco deep cover IWB holster. It fits the model 60 well, but it feels like I have a walnut in between my belt and pants. Then the belt hook sticks out like a sore thumb.

Welcome to the concealed carry rite of passage. Asking how to carry is like asking what to have on a hamburger. Ya gotta have it your way. Some swear by leather OWB others kydex IWB, just remember concealed carry isn't really comfortable but it's comforting.

You have to get used to a different way of dressing. Maybe going up a pants size for IWB and DON'T forget a true gun belt (thebeltman.net). The belt will solve a plethora of problems encountered while carrying. You dress to conceal, if you try to conceal to the way you dress you'll drive yourself nuts.

About the best advice is don't go cheap. You don't want to bet your life on the sales ads.

I like the Comp Tac line of holsters (C-Tac & M-Tac) but that's just what works for me, for leather there are as many sources as there are opinions too.

I have the MTAC for my 1911 4.25 in GSR and it works like a charm. I also have the body for the P229 and it works great. MTAC doesn't make a body for the Model 60. I may get the OWB Galco for the model 60. Is it too big to pocket carry? How about smart carrying it?

s&w 60

I carry a s&w 60-9 daily in a bare asset holster by high noon holsters...google them, research it, then just buy it...it won't cost you much to see, and the secret to the holster is in their version of the holster clip....it securely loops under the belt, won't come off, and won't print....you will be stunned at how simple and effective it is.

I carry a 640 or 60 (if 640 is being fired or cleaned) during cold weather. I carry it two ways: belt carry OWB (dress slacks) and pocket carry with suspenders. I tried the IWB and it rubbed me raw! I tried several holsters and I never did find one that was comfortable. Some people can wear IWB and some can't, probably body configuration.

Forget the "sage" advice around here that you carry for "comfort" not for "comfortable". If the rig isn't comfortable, you stop carrying all the time, human distaste of pain prevails.

There are many OWB Concealment holsters for the J-Frame that conceal well under a sweater or Sweat shirt. (Buy sweater or shirt 1 size larger than you actually wear.) If this strikes you as sloppy, just think of it as cultivating the "Tony Soprano" look!

In cold weather I try to wear Haggar corduroy pants in the Relaxed Fit as much as possible. The pockets are deep and the material is heavy enough to keep gun and pocket holster from sagging. I wear Perry Suspenders under the sweater and the whole rig looks very natural.

I'm another S&W Model 60 owner. (60-10, 3" barrel, Crimson Trace grips, to be exact.) I bought it in late March; it's my first gun. I also got my CCW permit, which arrived in mid-May, so I've been legal to carry concealed for about a month now.

I've tried the following types of holsters:

1) Cheap nylon shoulder holster. Verdict: Fine for open carry, sticks out like a sore thumb when carrying concealed with anything I'd normally wear and is hard to draw from quickly. Also disadvantage of cross-body draw and having the gun handle pointing forward *towards* the bad guy. I wear this only when hiking now.

3) Simply Rugged "Silver Dollar Pancake" holster. I *love* this thing. It came built to spec for my specific gun model. The guy who makes these uses heavy cowhide, and pancake holsters blur the outline of the gun nicely, making it fairly easy to conceal. There are two sets of straps that screw on with heavy duty screws that hold it securely, one set for OWB and one for IWB. I've worn this both OWB and IWB, and also attached to a good, solid support bra. (Okay, that probably won't work for a guy.)

At this point, I'm going to give away the cheap Uncle Mike's to a southpaw friend, and likely will get rid of the shoulder holster eventually as well. The pancake holster works so well I'd just as soon use it even when hiking.

If you stand up and be counted, from time to time you may get yourself knocked down. But remember this: A man flattened by an opponent can get up again. A man flattened by conformity stays down for good. ~ Thomas J. Watson, Jr.

The gun in the pic is a 3" Mod 60 in a Silver Dollar holster by Simply Rugged. The holster can be purchsed with additional straps so that it can be worn IWB if that is your choice. The pic shows the holster decked out for OWB and the shell holders are an option (while not necessary) that appeal to my sense of funkiness. You can get the holster without them if that is your choice.

It is an excellent holster for my M60 and Simply Rugged builds them as their name suggests. You can wear it either IWB or OWB as your choice of the moment dictates.